Subscriber Data Hashing for Privacy Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to protect subscriber-identifiable information from being discovered by third parties while allowing demographic attributes to be used for targeted advertising, leading to potential privacy breaches.

Innovation Solution

A system that replaces subscriber-identifiable information with periodically updated user identifier hash (UIDH) values, using one-way encryption methodologies and rotating key values to secure subscriber identities, enabling targeted advertising without revealing individual identities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If subscriber-identifiable information is shared with third parties for targeted advertising, then advertising effectiveness is improved, but subscriber privacy is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertising effectivenessVSAvoidprivacy breach risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the identifying elements from subscriber information, retaining only demographic attributes for advertising purposes. This separates the useful advertising data from the privacy-sensitive personal identifiers, allowing targeted advertising without exposing individual identities to third parties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that receives subscriber information, removes identifying elements, and outputs anonymized demographic data. This intermediary layer prevents direct access to personal identifiers while enabling advertising effectiveness through demographic targeting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If subscriber-identifiable information is protected by encryption, then privacy is improved, but data usability for advertising is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentity protectionVSAvoiddata usability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments subscriber information into two distinct components: identifying elements (which are protected or removed) and demographic attributes (which are retained for advertising). This segmentation allows the system to protect privacy while maintaining data usability for advertising purposes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the state of subscriber information by removing or encrypting identifying parameters while preserving demographic parameters. This parameter transformation maintains the data's advertising utility while eliminating privacy risks associated with personal identifiers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9210132B2Protecting subscriber information from third parties

Publication Date: 2015.12.08 CELLCO PARTNERSHIP INC

AI summary

A data warehouse and method of providing a record that includes both desired demographic information and undiscoverable individual information are described. Data records including subscriber-identifiable information associated with a device of a subscriber to the network service provider and demographic attributes associated with the network subscriber are initially extracted from the record. A hash value based on subscriber-identifiable information associated with the subscriber device is generated and used to generate a user identifier hash value based on the subscriber-identifiable information and a periodically-updated salt value. The record is updated to form a hashed record that includes the demographic attributes of the network subscriber, the hash value, and the user identifier hash value. The hashed record is then supplied in response to a request from a query server.